Hi. Welcome to Epiblast! The name is partly inspired by PZ Myers famous blog, Pharyngula partly by the fact that the epiblast, a simple tissue in a developing embryo (labelled 5), gives rise, eventually, to virtually everything inside our body. It's a metaphor for how some of our simple, fundamental ideas vastly affect the other aspects of our life. This blog covers my interests; usually science, medicine, atheism, religion. I might sneak in a bit of philosophy or magic if I feel like it. I warn you, the discussion gets uncomfortable and I come to conclusions which are unconventional, maybe contradictory to yours. Don't go crying to someone if you are offended.

At a recent Sports Medicine conference, results from a male-only Self-Help, Exercise and Diet Using Information Technology (SHED-IT, what's the deal with those impolite acronyms?) revealed that the men most successful at reducing their weight were the ones who cut their fat intake by 40% and sugary drinks by 55%. Furthermore, it was noted that the biggest losers did not necessarily up their intake of fruit and vegetables and their fibre intake was still lower than recommended. The study also indicated that the group which used the online monitoring system (which included online feedback) lost more weight and had better retention than those who were simply given instructions at the beginning ArticlePaper

It looks like the study did not consider exercise, which has its own host of added benefits.